Method and apparatus for reducing the percentage of nicotine contained in raw tobaccos, in intermediary products, and in tobacco products ready for use



Feb. 2, 41932. A. wENUs 1,843,638

CH METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR `REDUCiINGr THE PERCENTAGE OF'y NICOTINE CONTAINED IN RAW TOBACCOS, IN INTERMEDIARY PRODUCTS,

AND IN II'OBACCO PRODUCTS READY FOR USE Filed May 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.4

Feb. 2, 1932. A. wENUscl-l. 1,843,638

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCINC THE PERCENTAGE OF NICOTINE CONTAINED 1N RAW TOBACCOS, 1N INTERMEDIARY PRODUCTS,

AND IN TOBACCO PRODUCTS READY FOR USE Filed May I5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 2, 1932 UNITED sfra'lzrzs PATENT OFFICE v ADOLF WENUSCH, F VIENNA, AUSTRIA., ASSIGNOR TO OESTERREICHISCHE ATABAIK REGIE, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA, A CORPORATION OF AUSTRIA' METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE PERCENTAGE OF NICOTINE CONTAINED IN RAW TOBACCOS, IN INTERMEDIARY PRODUCTS, AND IN TOBACCO PRODUCTS Application led May 3, 1928, Serial No. 274,867, and in Austria Hay 9, 1927.

For removing the nicotine `out of the tobaccos the present invention makes use of the well known principle of heating the tobacco lwhile passing through it a current of air or steam. According to the presentinc loss of nicotine, a feature not realized in any` vention this process is carried out in such a manner as to eliminate all factors likely to have a retarding or unfavorable effect and to utilize all propitious influences. By controlling the process in all its phases it is possible to warrant a predetermined degree of other known process, as the work may be conducted so that the loss f nicotine is simply a function of time.

It has been shown by detailed investigations that by heating tobacco a quite small percentage only of nicotine is driven out owing to its volatility under the action of steam. A'considerable reduction' of the nicotine can,y however, be obtained'in a relatively short time if the moisture of tobacco is previously eliminated and a temperature of far above 100 C. is applied. At these temperatures the nicotine escapes owing to the dissociation or sublimation of the nicotine salts chiefly present in the tobacco as malate, citrate etc. If carefully weighed quantities of nicotine salts are heated, perceptible weight losses cannot be observed before a temperature of 130 C. has been attained. As to larger quantities of these salts the spaces of time required for volatilizing at temperatures below 150 C. arefar too long for practical use.

That the volatility with steam is actually of no importance in view of the final result may simply be deduced from' the fact that the percentage of free nicotine contained in they tobacco is extremely low, whilst no other but free nicotine is volatile with steam. Nicotine chemically bound such as malate, citrate etc. is not at all volatile with steam whilst it vis just under the form of the aforesaid salts that the nicotine is almost exclusively present in the tobacco.

The process consists in rapidly heating the tobacco, which should be as dry as possible,

to thepcritical temperature at which the nico-- tine salts will dissociate and volatilize. At

` batch of tobacco.

the same time lmeasures must be taken for the speedy removal of the nicotine salts as well as of the nicotine itself and the temperature must be kept throughout the apparatus on the same level.

By carrying out the process as set forth it is possible without deteriorating'the quality of the tobacco to considerably reduce the percentage of nicotine in a relatively short time, the reduction amounting to E30-80% according to the duration of the treatment. As the temperature throughout the apparatus will be the same a uniform reduction of the contents of nicotine is warranted in the whole It is possible therefore to reduce f. i. the nicotine percentage of Virginia cigars from 3% to 0.9% and of Portorico cigars from 1.4% to 0.25%. t

For carrying"out the process any apparatus will suflice which permits `of rapidly obtaining a temperature above 150 C. but not above 170 C., and warrants the uniformity of temperature throughout the eifectivespace of the apparatus, taking at the saumetime provisions to enable the gases to pass rapidly and in uniform distribution through the devlce.

As the time during which the necessary temperature is to be maintained depend upon the percentage of the desired loss of nicotine, the degree of temperature applied and the kind of tobacco which is treated the following example will illustrate how the process is to be performed.

If oriental tobacco is to be treated and a loss of 50% of its nicotine contents should be attained a temperature of 1554 C. will suffice when maintained during about two hours. Higher losses of nicotine desired make necessary a prolongation of time. Cigarsare to be treated about two hours at 165 C, for reaching a loss of 50% of their nicotine contents.

In general it may be taken that more delicate tobacco shoulclbe treated at about 152- 155 C., coarser tobacco at higher temperatures.

Burly, Maryland and Ohio fired tobacco is preferably treated during 2% hours at 160 C., if a loss of 50% of its nicotine contents is desired. For obtaining higher losses the time of treating may be extended.

The accompanying drawings show an embodiment of such a nicotine extraction device; F ig. 1 representing a vertical section along the line A-B of Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 a cross section through the apparatus.

The wrought iron prismatic casing a of the apparatus is provided with insulating layers b, c consisting of a suitable material so that the interior is well protected against losses by heat radiation. At the narrow side of the casing a, there is placed an equally well isolated door r, through which the'tobacco goods to be freed from nicotine are introduced. The inner sides of the Walls of the casing a are fitted with the supporting frames e, which hold the pans iilled with tobacco one above the other. In order to obtain a perfectly uniform heat in the interior of the apparatus a horizontal hot water spiral g comprising several coils is located below each pan, a similar vertical hot water spiral l1.v being arranged on the long sides of the casing, so that the contents of each pan is not only heated from below but also from the side. By thus locating the hot water pipes and by lining the casing a with the heat insulating layers b, c it has become possible to' rapidly raise the temperature of the interior-and therefore also of the tobacco products to be treated-to the height required which can be observed and regulated during the whole extracting process by means of electric long-distance thermometers and thermostatic regulators (not shown in the drawings.)

All hot water spirals belonging to a certain pan-are comprised in a group-being connected to the admission and return pipes of the heating water distribution system by means of shutting off devices, whereby two groups each of the hot water spirals lying one above each other are provided with connections located at opposite sides of the casing. The gas and air currents required to remove the escaping nicotine salts flow upwards in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the casing fr.. A slitted sheet i is fastened to the bottom of the casing a under the heat water spiral of the lowest pan which spiral is arranged in three planes. Underneath the sheet z' is provided a similarl slitted sheet z" which may be moved relatively to the upper sheet z' in the direction of the arrow m. B v these means the slits for the passage of the gas current may be made broader or narrower, as desired,so as to accurately regulate the gas distribution in the linterior of the apparatus. On the top of the apparat-us there is located an exhaust pipe j provided with an adjustable regulating flap valve permitting the discharge of the air or the gases which have entered into the casing through the slits in the sheets z', i and carry the nicotine salts. Of course electric energy may be used instead of hot water for heating the apparatus, the electric heating bodies eing distributed similarly to the heat water spirals and each group being regulated to the temperature desired by means of a thermostatic regulator.

After filling the apparatus, the heating device is adjusted to the temperature desired and .then a strong current of air, of dry steam or of an inert gas-preheated to the temperature of the apparatus-is passed through. This temperature is kept constant until the desired loss of nicotine, which' as mentioned before is determined by the duration of the process, has been attained.

l. The process of treating raw tobacco, intermediary products and tobacco products ready for use to reduce their nicotine percentage, which comprises drying the same, heating the dried goods as rapidly as possible in a suitable a paratus up to a. temperature of above 150 and below 17 0 C., uniformly maintaining the goods at that temperature within every part of the whole apparatus during a period of from half an hour to three and a half hours, and simultaneously passing a continuous rapid current of hot gas, preheated to the temperature of the apparatus, through the same so as to rapidly carry away the developed nicotine vapours from the goods.

2. An appr ratus for treating raw tobacco and tobacco products, comprising a prismatic casing, a heat insulating lining in the casing, said casing being provided with openings enabling a current of hot gas to pass through the interior of said casing, pans in the casing arranged one'above the other and adapted to be axially passed through by said current, an adjustable slitted sheet forming the bottom of the casing adapted to uniformly distribute the gas stream, and groups of heating bodies arranged below each pan and laterally of the caslng, so as to surround each of the said pans.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

ADOLF WENUSCII. 

